I went out solo a couple of fridays back and there werent many riders out but I always try to make a point of saying hello, only a couple actually acknolaged i was there. Swinley seems to be like that sometimes. 🙁

Just a quick note to Swinley riders – yesterday I came across a smouldering ‘camp’ fire in the forest – about 3 ft square built up against a tree stump.

Spotted a ranger picking litter out near the firing range and gave him a heads up.

Given the fires earlier in the year this was disappointing – and worrying given the recent dry weather, and light winds.

Is there a published number for the rangers in case anyone spots something like this again. I thought to myself that dialling 999 and trying to explain where you are in the woods without a GPS might be difficult – but a ranger would get the gist.

Also (rant on)I was with my S/O and another female friend (both competent – but not fast riders) and if you were one of the three male riders in their forties(?) who felt the need to get really close and force your way past on the single track as you raced each other from the ‘man hole cover’ away from the jump gully – I thought that was really bad form.

Especially as we had slowed down a bit to let a young girl decide what she wanted to do as she came towards us.

I mean, if you guys were really contenders, then you would be out at 7.30 am on clearer tracks, rather than at 11 am when the woods are getting full of people travelling in all directions within their own ability and pace envelope.

My apologies to the third rider, for giving you most of the mouthful – but you mates were obviously in a hurry and did not want to slow down to apologise for riding in such an aggressive manner.

If beating two women in their late thirties to the end of at what at most must be a 350 – 400 m trail section makes you feel young, thrusting and virile – then dream on.

Not into trail rage – and we did have a proper look for you at the cafe when we were done, as my wife wanted to dicsuss the matter with you. Just to let you know how she felt – and how that level of aggressiveness – getting right up behind female riders or any rider in fact), on narrow parts of a trail detracts from the enjoyment. And that by being either overtly or passively aggressive you put the less sure off their game, as instead of concentrating on what’s coming up – they worry about what’s going on behind.

But as we could not find you, so we assumed you must be out doing more laps at that pace to test your form for the upcoming race season.

Most of the singletrack in Swinley is impossible to pass safely on, if you’re going at any sort of speed. So the person in front will basically have to stop. No problem with that, but if you’re following a slower rider, at least say ‘scuse me’ or ping yer bell or something, and wait until they can safely let you past. The behaviour the OP describes isn’t too common fortunately, but does happen. I had a run in at CyB years ago, cos some knob behind couldn’t wait a minute until I could find a place to stop and let him and his stormtrooper mate past.

if you guys were really contenders, then you would be out at 7.30 am on clearer tracks, rather than at 11 am when the woods are getting full of people travelling in all directions within their own ability and pace envelope.

Very sound advice that. Might be ok (if not legal) to rag it a bit on an empty section of road at 4 am, when you know there’s nowt else about, but you don’t do it during the daytime when the traffic’s much heavier.

Some folk think that cos they are faster/have more spensive bikes etc, they have a greater sense of entitlement. Mind you, that sort of attitude prevails throughout our society really, dun’t it?

I do try not to hound people, to be honest I always like a clear run, but at cannock chase I hounded some bloke on a hardtail trek through the bumpy-sided-berms down from Marquis Drive to the forest centre – nothing against him, it was just fun to compare bikes and speeds – but I didn’t say anything to him when I went past at the next break – so he couldv’e thought of me as a bit of a cock

On a side note, wouldn’t it be better to “refresh” the trails after they’ve got shagged during winter and spring rather than making them all pretty in time for people to ruin them again? Or is it that they won’t survive winter without some action (not ridden there for a few months).

Dan Hodge manages A Swinley forest Facebook group. But its not official, just a group of people who ride regularly. Point of note there is a post up about the closures there though.
I saw the signs on Saturday when I was whistling through.